Grant: Collaborative Research and Development Grants
University of Regina
$97,377.00
Geotechnical assessment of marginal soils for sustainable infrastructure
EF 2020-21
Résumé
The sustainable (cost effective, environmentally friendly, and socially viable) management of civil
infrastructure depends on a clear understanding of the engineering properties of the supporting soils. The
interaction of marginal earthen materials (expansive clays and collapsible silts) with changing meteorological
conditions poses serious challenges to an uninterrupted use of buried utilities. TransGas Limited provides
natural gas (14,000 km long pipeline) as well as system integrity assessment and service for the distribution
network (69,000 km of mains and 390,000 individual services). The main issue associated with buried pipes is
the variable geotechnical pipe failure rate that ranges from 40/year to 110/year. In support of the company's
management strategy, the main objective of this collaborative research is to understand and improve the
geotechnical behavior of marginal soils. This is the first time that the company is participating in a
comprehensive geotechnical evaluation of indigenous soils deposits. Based on a detailed research program
(using laboratory investigation and numerical modeling), a scientific framework will be developed to work
with expansive and collapsible sediments in Saskatchewan. Soil properties will be investigated using
fundamental concepts of saturated and unsaturated soil mechanics under natural and compacted conditions.
The resulting innovative technology (characterization protocols and computational predictions) will be pivotal
for the design, construction, operation, and rehabilitation of civil infrastructure systems. The expected
economic benefits of understanding and improving local marginal soils for TransGas Limited are minimizing
the number of leak surveys and prioritizing vulnerable areas within the networks. Likewise, the environmental
and safety benefits due to reduced pipe ruptures and gas leaks will ensure public confidence in the natural gas
distribution system. The research results will be critical for the company for ongoing and future pipeline
network expansions. Finally, the expected capacity development in technical expertise, recruitment of highly
qualified professionals, and multi-disciplinary interactions are important benefits for the University of Regina
Programme
Collaborative Research and Development Grants
Bénéficiaire
Emplacement
Saskatchewan, Canada
Type de bénéficiaire
Academia
Type
Grant
Source
NSERC's Awards Data
Tel que publié
Application id
515208-2017
Name nom
Azam, Shahid
Department département
Engineering and Applied Science, Faculty of
Organization id
17
Institution établissement
University of Regina
Province en
Saskatchewan
Province fr
Saskatchewan
Country en
CANADA
Country fr
CANADA
Fiscal year exercice financier
2020
Competition year année de concours
2017
Award amount
97377
Program id
CRDPJ
Program name en
Collaborative Research and Development Grants
Program name fr
Subventions de recherche et développement coopérative
Group en
Research partnerships programs
Group fr
Programmes de partenariat
Committee code
96
Committee name en
RPP Internal Decision Cttee
Committee name fr
Cté de décision interne - PPR
Area of application code
1206
Area of application group en
Advancement of knowledge
Area of application group fr
Avancement des connaissances
Area of application en
Engineering
Area of application fr
Génie
Research subject code
1000
Research subject group en
Civil engineering
Research subject group fr
Génie civil
Research subject en
Civil engineering
Research subject fr
Génie civil
Installment
inst:3 - 4
Partie
2
Nb partie
4
Application title
Geotechnical assessment of marginal soils for sustainable infrastructure
Keyword
NSERC
Application summary
The sustainable (cost effective, environmentally friendly, and socially viable) management of civil
infrastructure depends on a clear understanding of the engineering properties of the supporting soils. The
interaction of marginal earthen materials (expansive clays and collapsible silts) with changing meteorological
conditions poses serious challenges to an uninterrupted use of buried utilities. TransGas Limited provides
natural gas (14,000 km long pipeline) as well as system integrity assessment and service for the distribution
network (69,000 km of mains and 390,000 individual services). The main issue associated with buried pipes is
the variable geotechnical pipe failure rate that ranges from 40/year to 110/year. In support of the company's
management strategy, the main objective of this collaborative research is to understand and improve the
geotechnical behavior of marginal soils. This is the first time that the company is participating in a
comprehensive geotechnical evaluation of indigenous soils deposits. Based on a detailed research program
(using laboratory investigation and numerical modeling), a scientific framework will be developed to work
with expansive and collapsible sediments in Saskatchewan. Soil properties will be investigated using
fundamental concepts of saturated and unsaturated soil mechanics under natural and compacted conditions.
The resulting innovative technology (characterization protocols and computational predictions) will be pivotal
for the design, construction, operation, and rehabilitation of civil infrastructure systems. The expected
economic benefits of understanding and improving local marginal soils for TransGas Limited are minimizing
the number of leak surveys and prioritizing vulnerable areas within the networks. Likewise, the environmental
and safety benefits due to reduced pipe ruptures and gas leaks will ensure public confidence in the natural gas
distribution system. The research results will be critical for the company for ongoing and future pipeline
network expansions. Finally, the expected capacity development in technical expertise, recruitment of highly
qualified professionals, and multi-disciplinary interactions are important benefits for the University of Regina
